Angoulême
Angoulême is the prefecture for the region and is about 35 minutes north of Bassinaud. Located on a plateau overlooking a meander of the river Charente, the city is nicknamed the “balcony of the southwest”. From its tumultuous past, the city, perched on a rocky spur, inherited a large historical, religious, and urban heritage which attracts a lot of tourists. www.angouleme-tourisme.com
Nowadays, Angoulême is a commercial and administrative city with its own university of technology, and a vibrant cultural life. This life is dominated by the Angoulême International Comics Festival, the FFA Angoulême Francophone Film Festival and the Musiques Métisses Festival that contribute substantially to the international renown of the city. Angoulême is known as the “Ville de l’Image” which means literally “City of the Image”.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is well worth a visit, particularly by train from nearby Montmoreau. This way you can avoid the city centre parking problems and arrive ready for a day of sight-seeing, shopping or just simply soaking up the atmosphere. The Cité du Vin is all about the wonderful world of wine and is well worth a visit. Find out more about this and other attractions by visiting the tourism office website.
Markets
No visit to this part of France is complete without a visit to one or two daily markets. You can find one within striking distance most days of the week and in the summer you’ll often find night markets where you can buy food and listen to live music. Our favourite daytime market is in nearby Riberac which takes place every Friday and has a splendid range of fresh fruit and vegetables, cheeses and seafood.
Swimming
Sadly, our own swimming pool is currently undergoing refurbishment but should be open by August of this year. Fortunately there are plenty of other places you can cool off nearby. Our nearest town, Montmoreau, has an outdoor swimming pool open Mon-Sat during July and August. Alternatively there is a sandy beach at Aubeterre-sur-Dronne where you can paddle and swim, as well as a swimming spot and much else to see and do at La Base de Pleine Nature de Poltrot.